


Chapter 1 .:Programming:.

by Antigravity_Carnivore



Series: The War on Falling Stars [1]
Category: Breaking Benjamin (Band), Project Vela (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Horror, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Angst, Band Fic, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Heavy Angst, Inspired by Music, Kidnapping, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Multi, Music, Musicians, Psychological Horror, Science Fiction, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:45:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore
Summary: The third series, based on the Starset/Breaking Benjamin/Project Vela Universe picks up where the Great Divide ended, focusing on the new lives of our beloved characters. The peace which they have sacrificed so much for is quickly slipping away, as the wall placed there by the Shepherd of the Damned in their minds begins to crumble, and memories start to return. Unbeknownst to them, Travis and Scott will soon find themselves swept up in events which quickly spiral out of control, threatening to tear them, and the entire world apart.





	Chapter 1 .:Programming:.

**Author's Note:**

> This series is meant to be read after the Starset Series and The Great Divide, although it can act as a standalone series, it is highly recommended that you dive into those works first to get a better understanding of the universe which I have created.
> 
> You can purchase a physical copy of the entire series here: http://thebp.site/175307 Currently only volume 1 is available, but the rest shall be added shortly. 
> 
> I also have a terrible habit of writing too much, so I am going to try and make every effort to keep these chapters short for your reading pleasure. This way I will not have to spend hours proofreading, and I can get the chapters out quicker to you all.
> 
> As always, I'd like to note that my writing is inspired by the music of these great bands. They tell me the story and all I have to do is put it down on paper. I am not writing for shock value, or to impress anyone, but instead to have fun with it and enjoy every single moment of it.

Chapter 1 .:PROGRAMMING:.  
  
  
The little boy pulled the blanket high up around his tiny frame, his small fingers clutching at the thick, soft folds in desperation. A storm raged on outside of the window, the wind howling with a unrelenting force that shook the very foundation of the house, and rocked the trees right down to their roots. The branches and dead leaves scratched at his window as they blew in the violent gusts, growing stronger by the minute with no signs of easing up. A small nightlight in the shape of a rocket ship in the boy’s room flashed off and back on again in the corner as the power lines whipped madly in the lashing torrent of air. Frightened and alone, the boy yanked the blanket up high over his head and retreated into the soft folds, hoping that the material would shelter him from what was going on outside. His heart racing, he curled up into a ball and forced his eyes shut as tight as they would go, hard enough to see stars, trying desperately not to see the bright flashes of light that crashed down from the sky with deafening roars.  
Cocooned deep within his fortress, Tristan began to calm down a bit. Nothing could harm him here. He was, after all, still in his own home, in his own bedroom, just a few feet away from where his mother and father were sleeping. All it would take would be for him to shout to them, and they would certainly come running to check, but he knew that was out of the question. He had to be brave. It was only a thunderstorm after all, something that happened quite often on these hot summer nights. All he had to do was stay here under the blankets and wait for it to end.  
  
A loud clap of thunder cracked just above the house, startling Tristan and causing him to flinch, and he momentarily let go of the blanket covering his head. Slowly opening his eyes, he could see the rain pounding against the window, flooding down over the glass in sheets, creating strange shadowy shapes on every wall which surrounded him. Terrified, he watched as the nightlight flashed one last time and then went dark, along with the line of dull streetlights that lined the pavement below the house. The power was out. Glancing around his almost pitch black room, something in the corner caught his eye, a shadow darker than the rest, a shadow that seemed to move. Tristan’s first instinct was to pull the blankets back up over his head and shut his eyes again, and pretend that he didn’t see it, but something was nagging at him, poking its icy fingers into the back of his mind, begging him not to run and hide. Swallowing his fear, Tristan pulled the blankets away and stepped down off the bed. The moment his bare feet hit the floor, he was immediately chilled to the bone. The room was now unnaturally cool, almost to the point of freezing. The breath that escaped his lungs came in short white wisps that lingered in front of him for long moments before disappearing. A quiet, almost inaudible tapping sound came from the mysterious shadow in the corner. Tristan held his breath for a moment, trying to listen more closely to figure out what he was hearing, and then suddenly he felt something touch his foot. Looking down, he saw a thin trail of freezing cold water running from the dark shape in the corner to where he was standing. Stepping to the side to avoid the puddle, a bright flash of lighting suddenly lit up the room, and he could now see that it wasn’t just a shadow in the corner of the room, but a small body, curled up and cowering against the wall. The light tapping noise he heard was that of the droplets of rain water which saturated the figures clothing pattering onto the floor.  
  
Tristan started to panic. He looked over to the doorway to his bedroom, thinking that perhaps if he were quick enough, he could run past the thing and make it down the hall unscathed. He didn’t know who or what was hiding there in the shadows, all he knew is that it didn’t feel right and he had to get as far away from it as he could. The storm raged on outside, growing in intensity, almost feeding off the young boy’s fear. The thunder echoed off of the nearby houses almost deafening him. Then he heard it, another unfamiliar sound coming from the dark shape. Tristan paused to listen. It was a voice, wavering, and singing. He didn’t recognize the melody. The words were garbled, broken and unintelligible, but strangely enough, they were comforting and soothing, drawing him in. Before he knew it, Tristan was only a few inches away from the soaking wet, dark shape.  
  
A voice that sounded like broken wind chimes spoke up. “They forgot about me. HE forgot about me…but not you, you remember me, right?” The shadows parted and a little boy appeared, dressed in soaking wet disheveled clothing which hung to this thin form like a death shroud. At first, Tristan thought he was looking into a mirror; the boy looked almost exactly like him, and could easily pass as a twin, if it were not for the gaunt, corpse-like frail body that barely held him up. His eyes were sunken in and tinged with red, nothing more than dark orbs embedded in a sickly gray sheet of emaciated flesh. Lifting a arm out, he reached for Tristan who let out a cry and stumbled backwards, tripping over a discarded toy and falling onto the floor.  
“Get away from me!” Tristan shouted, trying to scramble to his feet. “You're a monster!”  
  
The dark boy lowered his hand and retreated back into the corner. “I am not a monster, I am like you. You have to help me, Tristan. I am trapped in the dark place. It’s so cold here. I want to go home; I want to see my mother again. I want to see my father again. HE left me here. All alone. I am scared. Please help me.” Leaning his back against the wall, he slowly slid down onto the floor and started sobbing.  
  
His fear now turning into curiosity, Tristan stood up and walked back over to the boy who wore his face and knelt down in front of him. “Who are you? Why do you look like me? Are you even real?”  
  
“I am real. And maybe it’s not that me that looks like you, but maybe you who looks like me?” The boy took a deep breath that rattled harshly in his lungs. “I had to stay so that the others could be free…I was the sacrifice…and now I am tired and I want to go home.”  
  
Shaking his head, Tristan frowned. The boy’s words were confusing. “I don’t understand what you are saying. Wait here, I am going to get my Dad, he will know how to help you. He's a scientist!”  
Suddenly the boy’s hand shot out and he grabbed hold of Tristan’s arm. He let out a small yelp of pain, feeling a shock of coldness run up his wrist and over his shoulder. “No! The grown-ups, they can’t help me, none of them can. It has to be you Tristan, because we are bound together by blood. We have been together since the beginning; we are brothers, you and I. He brought you here and gave you a new life, but left me behind, in the haze and ash of Prox. Only your light can set me free.”  
  
“I don’t have a brother.” Tristan replied softly.  
The child frowned, his eyes dark and hollow. He looked like an injured animal. “No…I guess you don’t. Not here anyway…but we could be friends maybe…I just need help to find my way back home.”  
  
Mesmerized and trapped by the sound of the boy’s voice, Tristan nodded. “Well...my mother says that helping people is a good thing to do, and since you are lost, then I guess its okay. Tell me what I have to do.”  
  
The little boy sat up and set his blood shot eyes upon that of his twin. He took a deep breath and then reached up, extending his arms and placing both his hands on Tristan’s head. Instinctively, Tristan closed his eyes. “The first thing you have to do is remember. Remembering is the key to open the door.” He whispered. A blinding pain suddenly shot through Tristan’s head, like white hot knives being poked into every single corner of his brain all at the same time. Through closed eyes, he began to see things, places that he never had been, people he had never met, a lifetime of experiences and memories flooding into his head all at once. He felt every single emotion that these unfamiliar people had gone through, triumphs and loss, heartache and elation. Every second more poured into him, creeping into the dark corners of his brain and crowding it tighter with every passing second. He let out a loud cry that echoed through the little room, louder than any crash of thunder that could be heard through the entire house. It was a cry of desperation and pain, one that any parent would dread to hear, laced with agony and helplessness. Off in the distance, there was the sound of a door opening and the muffled voices of startled parents. Tristan’s eyes shot open, wide with pain and terror and a thick foam started to form at the corners of his mouth. The boy let go of his body and it crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud. Outside the window, the thunder and lightning stopped, but the rain still pounded heavily against the pavement below. Tristan’s body began to go into convulsions as the seizures started and wracked him with pain. The boy knelt down beside him and ran his hand over his cheek. “It will all be over soon, brother, and you will remember…and when you do, the crack will widen, and they will all start to remember, every single one of them. And as their lives start to unravel, the Shepherd will come…but for now, sleep.”  
  
With a loud crash the door suddenly burst open and the boy vanished, leaving Tristan unconscious on the floor. Thomas reached for the lights, flicking the switch on and off in panic, but the room remained dark. Cursing under his breath, he looked desperately around the room for any sign of his son, and soon heard his wife, Lizzie behind him call out, pointing towards the floor. Kicking toys out of the way, Thomas dropped to his knees and scooped his son’s small body up in his arms, barking orders at Lizzie to call for help. She scurried back out of the room and went in a mad search for her phone. Thomas clutched his son’s body tightly to his chest and held onto him as he gently carried him down the stairs. He heard Lizzie’s frantic voice on the phone, speaking to the dispatch officer as he sat down in an overstuffed chair in the living room, rocking back and forth. Tristan’s body shook and twitched in spastic motions, his arms and legs flailing about on their own as Thomas fought desperately to keep the child still. His skin was ashen white and his hair soaked with sweat as his father held him in his protective embrace, unwilling to let go until the episode passed. Lizzie soon came running down the stairs, her long white nightgown trailing after her. Her fingers were wrapped around the phone, as she tried her best to hold her composure and talk to the person on the other end of the line. Seeing Tristan’s body still in the throes of massive convulsions, she looked to her husband with desperate eyes, wanting to see some reassurance that everything would be alright there, but all she saw was fear. This was bad, and they both knew it.  
  
Scott yanked the headphones off his head and tossed them onto the couch. The attic which he and Travis had converted into a small recording studio was hot and muggy, the fans struggling to keep all the vintage audio equipment cooled and ventilated. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Scott grabbed his bottle of water and chugged it down, a much needed relief from all the hours of recording vocals. “I need a break.” He muttered, and sank down into the cushions.  
  
Travis clicked a few keys on the keyboard and looked up away from the computer screen as the lights started to flicker. “Well I don’t think we’re going to get much work done tonight anyway with this storm. I’d bet money on it saying that we’re going to lose power completely if it gets any worse. Maybe a break isn’t such a bad idea, it’s getting late anyway.”  
  
Grabbing another bottle of water from the fridge, Scott popped the top off and quickly chugged it down as well, spilling half of it down over the front of his beard and shirt. “Are you sure it’s the storm or your shoddy wiring that’s causing the power outages? Cause I seem to remember Ember downstairs microwaving a burrito and shorting out the entire electrical grid for an hour because you mixed up two colored wires, Travis.”  
  
Frowning, Travis picked up a towel and tossed it towards Scott who caught it in midair. “That wasn’t my fault! We lost an entire day’s worth of recording thanks to that little mishap! You seem to forget that I am here so that we can get work done and make a little money with our music, not just goof around.”  
  
Wiping the water off his face, Scott smirked. “Oh is that why you are here? I thought it was for other purposes.” He chuckled and leaned back seductively against the desk.  
  
Travis rolled his eyes and stood up, bending backwards and stretching the kinks out of his back. He didn’t realize how long that he had been up in the attic recording music, and the extreme hours were staring to take their toll on his body. “God you’re so incorrigible, Scott.”  
  
Shrugging, Scott walked over to Travis and grabbed him by the hand, guiding him over to the couch. Standing in front of it, he reached up and placed his hands on his arms, letting his fingers slide slowly down his bare skin. The sleeveless shirt that Travis wore hung loosely from this thin frame, granting easy access for Scott to step forward and slide his fingers under. Gliding around the front of his torso, Scott caressed Travis’s damp skin, enjoying the feeling of his tight, sweat soaked abs hiding deceptively underneath the shirt. His fingers came to rest upon his hips, and he gave Travis’s body a slight tug, closing the gap between them and making his intentions well known. Their eyes met, and soon they were pressed uncomfortably tightly against one another.  
  
Leaning into him, Travis brought his lips down upon Scott’s and kissed him tenderly. His lips were still wet and damp from the water he had chugged, which made them super soft and tender, delighting him and making him want more. Feeling Scott’s hands underneath his shirt, Travis reached up and placed his hand alongside of his face, running his fingers into the scruffy ginger beard. Lost in a shared moment of intimacy, neither of the men noticed the lights start to flicker on and off again, dimming the small room around them. Scott grabbed hold of the edges of Travis’s loose shirt and slid it off of him, exposing the man’s muscular chest underneath when the power finally went out. Shrouded in a cloak of darkness and occasionally illuminated by a flash of lightning in the sky overhead, the men sank down onto the couch together, Scott easing his large body down into the overstuffed cushions, and Travis stretching his long, lanky body down over the top of him. Even with the size difference between the two men, they fit together perfectly, both mentally and physically. Looking up at the magnificent vision before him, Scott couldn’t believe how truly blessed he was that the person he loved and adored with all his heart and soul was finally here with him, and they were free to live as they chose, together, forever. They had more than an irresistible lust for one another; it was more like a deep rooted desire to create and be part of something bigger than either of them which drew them to each other. Both men needed one another just as much as they needed the air to breathe.  
  
Feeling the weight of Travis’s body on top of him, Scott forgot about how hot and muggy the small attic studio was. The beads of sweat that collected on the smooth plane of Travis’s chest made his muscles glisten in the dim light, exciting and enticing Scott to reach up and let his hands run over that chiseled form. As Scott’s fingers brushed lightly over his nipples, Travis moaned and leaned down to place a line of tender kisses on the side of his neck, each one lasting one single moment longer than the last, each sending an electric pulse of euphoria through Scott’s large frame. His lips resting against the side of Scott’s neck, Travis let his hand travel down the big man’s body and come to rest between his legs. A whimper escaped Scott’s lips and he leaned in, pressing himself fully into Travis's grip. “Are we off the clock now, can we consider this break time?” Travis asked, amused.  
  
Looking into the eyes of his lover, Scott smiled. “You can have a break for as long as you want, just don’t stop doing what you are doing right now.” Sitting up slightly, he gave Travis a long, slow kiss on his satin soft lips, taking pleasure in how completely perfect he was. “I love you, Travis.” He whispered.  
  
Meeting his gaze, Travis returned both the smile and the kiss, finding himself lost in the moment and comfort of Scott’s welcoming embrace. Slowly, he freed himself and started to unbutton the front of Scott’s shirt, while the storm raged on outside. As the soft material fell away, he drew his lover into his arms and once again kissed him, this time it was more passionate and lustful, as waves of euphoria ran through his body. “I love you, Scott…don’t ever let me go.” He whispered, his lips still lingering there on Scott’s for long moments.  
  
Looking deep into Travis’s eyes, Scott held him fast in his gaze. “I will never let you go. We will be together forever, I promise. Nothing will ever come between us.”  
  
Pushing the bigger man back down onto the sofa, Travis’s slender guitarist fingers slid down Scott’s body, over his chest and down past his chubby tummy, coming to rest at the front of his pants. Stealing another kiss, he felt for the metal buckle of his belt and flicked it open. Scott’s body shook underneath him with anticipation and his head lolled back against the arm of the couch. With a single deft moment of a well-trained hand, Travis flicked the button open and started to unzip the front of his pants. Scott moved down further onto the couch, spreading his legs to bring Travis closer into him, his entire body hot and sweating, dripping with desire. Before they could get any further, the door suddenly burst open, and Scott’s daughter Ember stood there in the doorway, her bright red hair catching the dim light like fire.  
  
Almost immediately, Travis withdrew, moving away from Scott, when he grabbed him by the hand and held him still. A look of unease crept across his face, and Scott gave him a reassuring smile. Travis wasn’t comfortable yet with showing affection in front of Ember. He had never been open about his sexuality to begin with, and even though Scott’s daughter understood and accepted him, he still couldn’t bring himself to be close or even hold hands with Scott while he was around her. A well adjusted, open minded child, Ember would tell her class about her two dads with pride, and she loved them both equally. Even though she was still too young to fully understand what it meant for two men to be together, she knew that Travis made her father happy, and that was more than enough for her. Scott pulled the startled Travis back down on top of him and wrapped his arms around him, attempting to lighten the situation, but it was of no use, the moment was over. Judging from his stiff frame, he knew that he was not enjoying it, so Scott released him, and he immediately was on his feet, looking for his shirt. “Hey Em. What’s going on?” Scott asked, keeping a eye on the nervous Travis, who turned away to hide his embarrassment.  
  
Ember took a few steps in the room, clutching at a Hello Kitty flashlight. “Daddy, there is a ambulance over at Tristan’s house. I saw the lights when the power went out and went to my window. I’m scared.”  
  
Scott jumped up from the couch and ran over to the attic window, throwing up the blinds. From his vantage point, he could see the paramedics gathering their gear and rushing to the front door of Thomas and Lizzie’s house. “Holy shit.” He whispered.  
  
Pulling on his loose, sleeveless shirt, Travis joined him and stared in disbelief at the scene down below. “What do you think is going on?” he asked quietly.  
  
Turning around quickly, Scott scooped up Ember in his arms and headed for the steps. “I don’t know but I am going to find out.” All three of them flew through the house in a rush, pulling the front door open and quickly moving out to the lawn. Only Travis hesitated to grab a umbrella. By the time they got there, the paramedics were coming out of the Bell house, pulling a stretcher along behind them. Scott gasped, seeing the small body of Tristan Bell strapped onto it, still in the midst of convulsions while they desperately tried to stabilize him. Behind them came Thomas and Lizzie, both still dressed in their pajamas. Lizzie’s long, dark hair was tied back in a loose braid, and several strands of it had come out and were flowing about, giving her the appearance of a mad woman. Her eyes were filled with tears as she tried to hold onto the hand of her son, but he slipped away as they were forced to restrain his twitching body with extra straps. She walked down the sidewalk right next to the paramedics with bare feet and jumped into the ambulance with them. Scott saw Thomas try to follow, looking pale and terrified, but after a short confrontation, they refused to let him enter, and quickly shut the doors, blocking him out. The lights and siren turned on, and in a loud rush they left, leaving Thomas standing alone on the sidewalk, in the rain with clutching hands.  
  
Travis, Scott and Ember slowly approached. Thomas’s eyes were focused on the vehicle that was taking his son away. He didn’t blink or budge. Scott spoke softly. “Thomas, hey what’s going on? Did something happen to Tristan?”  
  
Without taking his eyes off the street where the ambulance had vanished, Thomas answered in a flat, lifeless tone. The rain had saturated his thin pajamas and soaked into the curls of his hair, dripping water into his eyes. “It’s all my fault, I know it is.” He murmured, running his hands through his hair, he started to pace.  
  
Scott looked at him in disbelief. He had never seen the man so visibly upset before. Thomas usually had such a calm, level headed demeanor to him, it was hard to see him so shaken up like this. “Thomas, you’re a great father, I know it, everyone knows it. I trust you with Ember, and she’s the most precious thing to me, so whatever you think that you may have done to Tristan cannot be your fault. Take a deep breath, calm down and try to tell me what happened.”  
  
Thomas stopped pacing and stood still, continuing to run his fingers through his hair in a nervous habit. “He’s been having night terrors for the last week or so. He wakes up in the middle of the night, saying that the shadows are coming for him, and would come sleep in the bed with Lizzie and I…At first I didn’t mind, but then it started happening every night. I was getting upset, so I bought him a little night light, it’s a spaceship, to keep the shadows away, because he loves space and the stars. I had to go to six different stores to find one for him, it took me forever.” Blinking, Thomas tried to hold back tears, but it didn’t work. The tiny droplets formed in the corner of his eyes and spilled out down over his cheeks, mixing with the raindrops. “It’s my fault, Scott.” He repeated again. “I told him that he needed to be like a grown up and sleep in his own bed. I sent him back to his room…alone… everything was okay at first, until the storm started and the power went out. I heard him start to scream in the middle of the night. Lizzie and I found him on the floor, his body was convulsing, there was foam coming out of his mouth… and the worst part… his eyes shot open and fixed, staring at something that we couldn’t see, and it looked like he was horrified.” Thomas wiped his tears away and shook his head in sadness. “It’s all my fault, whatever happened to him is because I insisted he go back to sleep on his own.”  
  
Travis grabbed Thomas by the shoulder and slightly shook him. “It’s not your fault. There’s nothing in the shadows that can hurt a little boy. You are a scientist, you work with facts, you should know this. Whatever is happening to him is probably something medical, which can be explained. Kids get sick all the time, Thomas, and recover from it. Don’t go placing blame on yourself for something that is completely out of your control.”  
  
Travis moved forward and put his umbrella over Thomas, who had now started to shiver uncontrollably. “Let’s get you inside and out of this rain.”  
  
“No.” Thomas snapped. “I need to see my son. They said that were wasn’t enough room on the ambulance. I have to follow them. I need to be with them...Tristan and Lizzie; they are probably both so scared. ”  
  
“Alright, that’s fine, but you can’t go like that.” Travis said in a calm, soothing voice. “Let us help you get dried off and then one of us can take you to the hospital. You’re in no condition to drive there yourself. It will only take a few minutes.”  
  
The rain was finally letting up as all four of them entered Thomas’s house. Once inside, Thomas ran upstairs to get dressed, while Travis and Scott waited in the living room below, talking quietly amongst themselves. Ember was unusually quiet. “What do you think is wrong with him?” Scott asked.  
  
“From the sound of it, it could be early onset of epilepsy, or maybe just an allergic reaction to something. It’s odd that this would come on so suddenly, without any prior symptoms, but I guess there’s no telling until they get the tests done at the hospital.” Travis turned to Ember. “Ember, you played with Tristan today, did you notice anything strange, like him acting odd or saying he wasn’t feeling well?”  
  
Ember picked at the corner of Lizzie’s lace tablecloth, avoiding Travis’s question and staring at a white and pink porcelain tea cup that was just out of reach.  
  
Scott walked over to her. “Em. Travis asked you a question.” He didn’t like pressing her for answers. Normally a well behaved child, Ember had shown both her father and Travis the greatest respect, so it was quite unusual that she would be so reclusive about answering a direct question.  
  
“He said he was scared.” She said quietly.  
  
Travis knelt down beside her, noticing how skittish she was. “Scared of what honey?”  
  
Looking from Travis to Scott, Ember’s eyes were filled with fear. “We were using Mr. Bell’s telescope…I know we’re not supposed to use it, but it was only for a minute… We wanted to see the moon and stars, because Grammy Selene talks about them all the time.… Tristan… he went first and when looked in it, and was afraid. The look on his face scared me too, and I didn’t know why. I didn't want to use it then. He said that the stars were all wrong, they were gone.”  
  
Coming over to join Travis, Scott found himself entranced by his daughter’s story. There was something her tone that positively frightening. “Did he say where the stars went?”  
  
Ember moved her head slightly, avoiding them both and looked down to the floor. The red ribbon that she had tied in her hair came spilling down over one of her shoulders. She plucked it off her shoulder with her small fingers and started pulling at the frayed edges. “He said that the darkness devoured them.” Her voice was tiny and trembling. “It snatched them up like baby chicks just out of the shell and crunched on their bones with sharp teeth. They bled black, and it oozed out from between it’s teeth, spilling out and becoming the sky, taking away all the light… and it was coming for us next. That's where all the stars had gone.”  
  
“Goddamn it Selene! That’s why he was suddenly afraid of the dark!” Thomas shouted, causing Ember to flinch. He had paused on the stairs, listening intently at the little girl’s story, and then stormed down joining them in the living room when she had finish speaking. His entire demeanor seemed to change in a matter of minutes. “My mother knows she’s not supposed to be telling stories like that to the kids. She fills their heads with this nonsense about demons, crows and shadows, stuff that children should not be hearing and it scares them. I’ve warned her several times about this, but now it needs to stop!”  
  
Ember quickly scooted behind Scott who was trying to keep the peace. “Thomas, hey man it’s alright. They are just stories. They can’t hurt anyone.”  
  
Thomas’s dark eyes flashed and his hands were shaking. Obviously upset, he grabbed for his jacket and a single black feather dropped out of it and slowly fluttered down to the floor. He went instantly pale, and clutched at his chest for a moment.  
  
Travis grabbed hold of his arm. “Take it easy. You’re just getting yourself upset over nothing. Come on let’s get you to the hospital to see your son. I am sure everything will be okay once they get him stabilized. Forget about everything else for now, and think about Tristan. He needs you.”  
  
The moment the feather landed, it seemed to vanish into the darkness. No one else saw it. Thomas stared at the place where it once was, listening to the last droplets of rain patter down off the gutters outside. Something was coming; he could feel it in the tightness of his chest. The pain had subsided a bit, but as he took a breath, he could feel it there, reminding him that not all was as it should be. He didn’t believe in the superstitions and omens that his mother did, but she did have an uncanny knack for knowing things before they actually happened, and that frightened him.  
  
“Travis, can you please take Em back home while I take Thomas to the hospital?” Scott asked, breaking the silence.  
  
Ember looked to her father with sad eyes. “No! Daddy, I want to go too, I want to see Tristan.”  
  
Shaking his head, Scott spoke gently to his daughter. “You will Em, but not right now. Tristan is sick and the doctors need to run some tests on him to find out what’s going on. You don’t want to get in their way now, do you?” Ember shook her head no, rustling her bright red curls around her shoulders, while she still clutched on tightly to her hello kitty flashlight. “Right, that’s a good girl. So you’re going to go back home with Travis, and try and get some sleep. When you wake up in the morning, I promise to call you and let you know what’s going on. But you have to be a good girl and wait for me to call. I bet that Tristan would like it if you drew him a picture while you wait. Maybe one of your fantastic purple dragons or bright pink flamingos? Then when you come to see him, you can hand it to him, okay?”  
  
“Okay daddy.” Reaching up, she slid her hand into Travis’s.  
  
“You call me the minute you hear anything.” Travis said sternly, giving Scott a serious look. “I don’t care if it’s 4 minutes from now, or 40 minutes; as soon as you know what’s going on and can spare a moment, you call me. I hate being left in the dark.”  
  
Scott gave him a light kiss on the cheek. He noticed Travis wince as his beard tickled his face and couldn’t help but to smile. “I will, just keep an eye on her until I get back home. You’re both precious to me.” Walking away, Scott joined Thomas at the door, and together they made their way across the wet lawn to the car and drove off, disappearing into the night.  
  
Nothing more than an empty street greeted Travis as he and Ember went back over to Scott’s house. Ember was once again, unusually quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was that of an occasional dog barking at the end of the street. Travis opened the door for Ember and she walked in slowly, making her way over to the sofa in the living room and curling up on it. Travis went to the kitchen and got a large glass of ice water. He was thinking about the gloomy prediction that little Tristan had made, and how badly it had scared Ember. She was normally a bright and happy little girl, full of sunshine and rainbows, but now that he began to think on it more, she was unusually withdrawn and somber during the last week or so. He knew that she and Tristan were good friends, they had grown close since Christmas Eve when they met, hardly being apart from one another for very long. During the winter months, their friendship seemed to blossom and grow more than ever. Once when they were watching cartoons a commercial for a honeymoon destination came on with a cheerful bride, and Ember turned to Scott and asked him if she could have the exact same shimmery wedding dress for when she married Tristan. Of course Scott refused, joking that she was his little girl and that he would never let her get married. Ember, not willing to concede defeat, fired right back saying how beautiful she would look with two dads walking her down the aisle. From that point on, Scott was forced to admit to himself that one day; his little girl would grow up and have a life of her own. His only consolation was that Tristan was being raised by good people, and he would gladly welcome Thomas and Lizzie into his family as well. Ember was everything to Scott, and Travis was more than happy to accept that. He had no one of his own, and to him, they were his life.  
  
Travis brought the glass of ice water over to Ember, who gratefully accepted it and moved over for him to sit next to her. “Things are going to be okay Ember, you’ll see.” He said softly, gently brushing some of the hair away from her face. “Tristan is going to be taken care of; they have the best doctors at the hospital.”  
  
“Will Grammy Selene take care of him? She works there!”  
  
“Maybe.” Travis answered, bopping the little girl’s nose. “She’s one of the best doctors around. I even heard that she knows how to cure the TM.”  
  
Cocking her head to the side, Ember looked at Travis curiously. “TM? What is that?”  
  
“Why it’s the TICKLE MONSTER!” Travis joked, and leaning over, he started to tickle her tummy and arms, laughing and giggling with her until they were both red in the face. Falling flat on the couch, and gasping for breath, Travis and Ember lay together as the minutes slowly ticked by. The rain outside stopped completely now, and a dense fog started to roll in, covering the entire neighborhood with a thick blanket of haze. It wasn’t until the early morning hours, just before daybreak when the power clicked back on, and everything came back to life. Travis woke up with a start, realizing that he had fallen asleep next to Ember. Rubbing his eyes, he looked over to the sweet little girl who was sleeping peacefully. He stretched his back and pulled a blanket down over the side of the couch for her, and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. He didn’t want to risk waking her up by carrying her back to her bedroom, so he slowly slipped away from the couch with great care so she wouldn’t wake up. Picking up his cell phone from the end table, he blinked a few times rubbing his eyes and glanced at the screen, it was nearly 4 a.m. and there was still no word from Scott yet. Concerned, Travis quickly brought up the texting app and let his fingers fly over the illuminated keyboard.  
  
‘Hey—haven’t heard from you in a few hours. Is everything okay? Please get back to me as soon as you can.’  
  
'I miss you.'  
  
'I love you.'  
  
After hitting the send button, Travis waited for several anxious moments and then receiving no immediate reply began to pace around the kitchen anxiously. It wasn’t like Scott not to answer straight away; he always had his phone with him within reach at all times. Not hearing from him opened the door to too many possibilities, and the last thing that Travis wanted to do was jump to any conclusions. Ember would be waking up in a few hours, and asking questions, questions which he did not have any answers for yet. Running his hands through his hair, Travis made his way out to the kitchen, when suddenly his phone started vibrating. Nervously, he unlocked it and stared at the message illuminated on the screen.  
  
‘Error code 401:Message not received. User account terminated.’  
  
Travis stared at his phone, confused. The thick black letters account terminated suddenly made him feel very uncomfortable. Did Scott forget to pay his bill for the month, or was it something else? Scrolling up, Travis verified the number and retyped his message, sending it for the second time. Moments passed, and he got the same result. Deciding to get to the bottom of the situation, he dialed the phone number with shaking fingers and waited. After a few rings, the sound of a woman’s automated voice came over the line, saying that his call did not go through. Letting out a sigh of irritation, Travis brought up his Facebook app, and typed in Scott’s name. Nothing came up. “What the hell is going on?” He murmured to himself. Standing in the kitchen, he noticed how suddenly quiet it was. Even though it was still before dawn, there were no sounds of crickets chirping, birds singing, or even the annoying dogs down the street breaking the silence with their raucous barks. It was deathly quiet. Pushing the white lace curtain away from the window, Travis looked down the empty street, expecting to see a early morning jogger, or a someone on their way to work, but there was nothing. The thick gray mass of fog that dampened the area seemed to have created a vacuum of silence, taking every living thing with it. Glancing over to where Thomas and Lizzie lived, he noticed that the front door was open just a few inches, exposing the entrance to the dark, empty house beyond. He and Ember had been the last ones to leave, could it be possible that he had forgotten to pull the front door shut on the way out? No, it couldn’t be, he wouldn't be so careless. Perhaps an intruder had seen them leave in a rush and took advantage of the situation and slipped in unnoticed. Either way, Travis knew that he couldn’t just leave the door open like that. Even though it was a good neighborhood, there were still occasional passersby who couldn’t be trusted, and if anything happened over there, he would feel incredibly guilty about it.  
  
Cursing underneath his breath, Travis turned around and returned to Ember. She was still sleeping soundly, curled up under the thick, soft blanket he had put on her. He decided to leave her be, and go over to the house alone. It would only take a few moments to go in, look around and then lock things up. She wouldn’t even know that he was gone. Grabbing his house keys off the rack by the door, Travis slipped out, quietly shutting and locking the door behind him. Once outside, he pulled out his phone and tried to contact Scott again, thinking that perhaps it was a bad connection, but the blinking error message still showed up, angering him even further. Shoving the phone back in his pocket, Travis made his way down the steps and to the street beyond. The emptiness and quiet greatly disturbed him as he walked through the thick fog. It wasn’t cold, but stepping out into the mist sent a chill down his spine that immediately put him on edge. As he reached the front of the house, he remembered Ember’s words, repeating what Tristan had said about the stars being ‘eaten’ and looked up to the sky. The storm clouds were passing by, breaking up and disappearing off to the east, leaving large gaping holes above where the twinkling pin points of light from the stars could be seen. Travis wasn’t well versed in astronomy, so he couldn’t tell if anything looked wrong or out of place. The sky was dark, the stars were silver, and the clouds were puffy white. Everything seemed to be in place. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the stars which was a little brighter than the rest, suddenly flicker and start to streak across the sky. Never having seen a falling star before, Travis was completely mesmerized and transfixed, watching as it cascaded down from the heavens, leaving a trail of glistening stardust in it’s wake. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. As soon as it hit the horizon line, the white hot brilliance then faded and went out, leaving nothing but a dark hole in the night sky where it had once been.  
He recalled going over to a late night picnic on the fourth of July at Thomas and Lizzie’s house and meeting Thomas’s mother, Selene there. Tristan had called her Grammy Selene, and had been at her side for most of the night. Thomas brought his telescope out and was giving Ember and Tristan a astronomy lesson and became annoyed when Selene refused to take a turn and use it. She explained that even though star gazing was wonderful and inspiring, it brought about bad omens as well, for if you looked up and saw a falling star, it would be that someone close to you would die soon. Thomas disapproved of her teaching the children such things, considering it nonsense and asked her to refrain from filling the children’s head with rubbish. After that night, Selene didn’t visit much, and when she did, the time she spent there with Tristan was very limited. It was obvious that she took great offense in her son's off the cuff comments.  
  
Looking up once again the place where the star had been, Travis shivered and said a prayer, hoping that this wasn’t the omen which signaled death. Selene had a flair for the dramatic, that’s all it was. Moving forward, he willed his feet to move onward until he reached the door and pushed it open. In the heavy darkness, he could just barely make out the shape of the living room furniture, and the kitchen beyond. Everything seemed to be okay. He grabbed hold of the door handle and was turning to leave, when he suddenly stopped and hesitated. Against his better judgment, he decided to go inside to make sure everything was in order. Stepping past the threshold, Travis made his way into the house and back to the living room where he had been earlier. A fresh bouquet of Lizzie’s prize winning roses was proudly displayed on the coffee table, surrounded by sketchbook crayon drawings that Tristan and Ember had been working on only hours earlier. In the dim light, he could just make out the shapes scribbled on them, of dragons, spaceships, unicorns and cats, all brightly colored and bursting with life. He couldn’t help but to smile. Tristan and Ember were perfect children, in every sense of the word. From the first moment that they met, they got along so well and he was pretty sure that the two of them would end up together, no matter what Scott said. Picking up a few of the sheets of paper, Travis rifled through them, remembering his own childhood days that were filled with happiness. As he got to the end of the stack, the very last sheet of paper made the smile leave his face. The lines drawn on it were not like the others scattered across the table. It was outlined in heavy, black crayon and ink, drawn with a furiously fast hand, sketched out in a very crude manner. It was one of Tristan’s drawings. Turning it into the light, Travis could make out the drawing that Tristan had done of himself, perfect in every detail right down to the silly spaceship t-shirts that he loved to wear. Standing next to him was a little girl with flowing red hair, Ember. Travis smiled. The two children were holding hands, and smiling, but there was something sinister about the drawing. Behind the children was the source of the heavy black lines. It was a drawing of a man, dressed in a simple black suit with his arms outstretched, as if he was calling them to him. Around his form were massive wings, fully extended, completely covering the paper, drawn right to the edges with long, flowing strokes. Looking at the piece filled Travis with a sense of dread. Was this man real or just some make believe character that the children made up? Either way, the image positively chilled him to the bone and he tossed it down onto the table, unable to keep his eyes on it one moment longer. As the paper left his hand, it caught a cold draft from somewhere further back in the house and flipped over, coming to a rest on the table with the photo side down. Travis noticed that something was written on the back, with shaky, scrawling letters. Picking it back up, he began to read out loud.  
  
Of the dark past  
A child is born;  
With joy and grief  
My heart is torn.  
Calm in his cradle  
The living lies.  
May love and mercy  
Unclose his eyes.  
Young life is breathed  
On the glass;  
The world that was not  
Comes to pass.  
A child is sleeping;  
An old man is gone.  
O, father forsaken,  
Forgive your son!  
  
“Who wrote this?” Travis whispered to himself. The sense of unease that he had been feeling since entering the house was even stronger now, making him feel weak in the knees. The poem’s ominous tone and words were obviously not written by either of the children, the prose way to advanced to come from either of them as well, so it must have been either Thomas or Lizzie. What he couldn’t wrap his head around is why they would write such a macabre poem on the back of a child’s drawing. Unless it was Selene… Thomas said that she had a very dark way about her and was filling the kids head with nonsense. Deciding that it was none of his business and the house was secure; Travis placed the drawing back down on the table and headed out the door, locking it behind him. He didn’t want to waste another moment away from Ember. The sky was starting to brighten with the first rays of sunlight. As he walked back across the street, Travis pulled out his cell phone once again, and tried to unlock it, but the screen remained black. “What the hell?” He whispered as he gave the power button a rough push, trying to wake it up. A red battery light flashed on and off. 0%. Something was wrong. He knew that he had at least 75% battery life left when he had left the house. Scott would be calling soon, so he made sure that it wasn’t dead. How could the phone have completely discharged in one hour with only the slightest use? Giving up on the device, he shoved it back in his pocket and quicken his pace, hurrying back to his house.  
  
Fumbling with his keys, he managed to get the door open and went inside, locking it behind him. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew that it would be morning soon, and hopefully he’d have answers then, even if he had to drive to the hospital himself. Tossing the dead phone down on the counter, he walked over to the couch to check on Ember. As he turned the corner, he could see the edge of blankets still spread out over the cushions and breathed a sigh of relief. Making his way around to the font of the couch, he heard a loud crack and felt something break underneath his foot. Stepping back, he bent down and picked up something that had been embedded in the carpet. Turning it over in his hand, he felt a sudden pinch and flinched, feeling the warm sensation of blood start to pool up on his fingertips. Flicking on the lamp which resided on the end table near the couch, the room was suddenly filled with light, and he could now see the item which he had so carelessly stepped on. There in the palm of his hand, sparkling in the light was a silver crescent moon trinket on a chain, adorned with fake glass gems that resembled diamonds. It was a gift that Tristan had given to Ember the night that they met, and she wore it constantly, hardly ever taking it off. The weight of his shoe had twisted the metal and crushed the delicate glass stones, completely destroying the pendant. Travis looked at it sadly, knowing that Ember would be very upset to find out that he had broken it; he would have to find a way to reassure her that it could be replaced. Then he realized that Ember never took it off. In a panic, he grabbed hold of the massive blanket on the couch and gave it a yank, revealing nothing there but empty cushions. She wasn’t there. Ember was gone. Frantically bolting up the stairs, he took them two at a time, racing to her bed room. Throwing open the door, it slammed against the wall as he stormed in and rushed over to her bed. It was empty as well. Rushing back out, Travis hit every light that he could find as he made his way down the hall to the room which he and Scott shared, thinking that she might have crawled into the bed. She wasn’t there either. His heart racing, he bolted up the stairs to the attic recording studio and flicked on the lights. It was empty.  
  
“Ember! Where are you?” He shouted, hoping that she would come popping out of a closet, or start giggling from behind a couch, but his pleas were only met with deathly silence. Panic setting in, Travis turned around and hurried back down the steps, coming to a stop in the living room. As soon as his foot hit the last step, he knew that something was wrong. The last remnants of night had faded, giving away to a sickly dim gray morning light that surrounded and blanketed everything around it. Curious, he made his way over to the kitchen windows and pulled the blinds up, gazing at the street beyond. It was still empty and deathly quiet. The fog which had rolled in during the night was still here, soaking the grass and trees, making them heavy with dew. The gray haze covered everything, as far as the eye could see for miles beyond. It seemed like something out of a horror movie. A chill went down his spine, as a thought crossed his mind. What if Ember had gone out into the murk to look for him and gotten lost? What if she was out there right now, alone and confused, possibly injured and in need of help. Travis sighed, weighing the possibilities over in his mind. She surely wasn’t in the house anywhere to be seen, which meant that his theory was right, and he’d have to go out looking for her.  
  
Picking up his cellphone, he dialed Scott’s number one more time, praying that maybe this time it would go through, but after several moments, his hopes were dashed again as the same monotonous voice came over the line, announcing that the number was no longer in service. Scrolling through his contacts, he found Thomas’s number and quickly sent a call through. Several anxious moments passed and then it started to ring. Travis waited patiently, trying to figure out how he was going to tell Scott that his daughter was missing. He knew that he couldn’t relay the message through Thomas, because he had far too much on his mind now, with Tristan being ill. At the very least, he would be able to check in with them and sort things out, one step at a time. Pacing around the kitchen, Travis waited, listening to each ring, waiting for Thomas to answer. Finally, after some time and about 10 rings, the call connected. Travis’s heart raced. Without waiting for a greeting, he immediately started speaking. “Thomas? Hey, this is Travis. I don't mean to bother you, but I need to speak to Scott, as soon as possible. Can you please tell him to call me?” Travis stopped and waited. There was no response. “Hey, Thomas? Are you there? It’s Travis.” Confused, he repeated his plea over and over, listening intently for some sound as acknowledgment that there actually was someone on the other end of the line. None came. Taking the phone away from his ear, Travis looked at the call information. It was still connected, a active line, but the person, who should have been Thomas on the other end was clearly not responding, and this worried him even more. “Thomas! Goddamn it, if you’re there say something, or text me! Ember is missing and I can’t find her anywhere. Scott needs to know.” The phone in Travis’s hand started to heat up, as a static noise poured out of the speaker, growing louder with every moment. The sound was intense and excruciating, making Travis feel like someone was driving daggers into his brain. Wincing, he pressed his finger against the end call button over and over, but it wouldn’t stop the noise. The small device grew hotter and hotter in his hand, until it was almost too much to hold. Rushing over to the kitchen sink, he threw it in, just as it burst into flames in a bright flash of light, sending a pillar of white smoke into the air around him. Relieved that the sound had ended, but frightened the flames would catch the kitchen cabinets on fire, Travis turned on the water and doused the phone. He could hear the tempered glass of the screen crack and break, as the plastic case melted down into a puddle of black goo. Putting both his hands on either side of the sink, he leaned in and breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his head a bit. “What the fuck just happened here?” He asked to the empty room. Staring down at the smoldering remnants of his phone, Travis knew what he had to do. He had to go find Ember. Whatever was happening with Scott and Thomas was out of his control, and he could do nothing about it, but with Ember missing, he knew she was depending on him to come and find her, and he was going to do just that.  
  
Grabbing his backpack from the hallway, Travis yanked the zippers open and started filling it with bottled water, a first aid kit, and two flashlights with extra batteries. He didn’t know what he was going to find out there, but he had to be prepared for the worst. Pulling Ember’s small hoodie down from the coat rack, he balled it up and shoved it into the bottom of his pack and hurried for the front door.  
  
Stepping outside, he immediately noticed that the temperature had dropped even further since the night. The sunlight, what little there was of it, didn’t seem to be offering any warmth from its diluted rays. He regretted choosing to wear his sleeveless hoodie, but chose not to go back and change, fearing that he would lose precious seconds that Ember might need. Making his way down to his car, he repeatedly pressed the unlock button anxiously, not wanting to stay out in the open for long. Even though there was nothing or no one else around him, he couldn’t help but to feel like he was being watched. Keeping alert, Travis pulled on the door handle to the car, and then swore underneath his breath. It didn’t unlock. Trying not to panic, he used the keys to manually open the door and tossed his backpack inside, flopping down in the driver’s seat next to it and quickly pulling the door shut behind him. Rattling the keys, he inserted them into the ignition with shaking fingers and turned. Nothing. The car was dead. Somehow, he had a feeling it was going to be. “FUCK!” he shouted, pounding his fists on the steering wheel. This confirmed his suspicions that something abnormal was clearly going on now. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be safe in bed next to Scott, curled up against the man’s big body and complaining about how much he needed to shave his beard, while Ember prepared a high tea party for them complete with fancy napkins and china cups. Everything that was happening couldn’t possibly be real, it had to be some sort of dream he was having or hallucination. If he refused to believe in it, then maybe he might wake up back in the attic loft on the couch, having fallen asleep waiting for Scott to write some new lyrics. Confused, angry and upset, Travis lashed out, sending his clenched fist into the dashboard of the car with a sudden fury, which sent a wave of pain down his arm. Cursing profusely, and aware that throwing a tantrum wasn’t getting him anywhere, he grabbed hold of his backpack and got out of the car. Looking down the street, he realized that he didn’t have any idea of which way to go. Ember had only been gone for a short time, or so he thought, which mean she was probably somewhere close by, but if he chose the wrong direction, he could possibly be making a very costly mistake. While silently debating it over in his head, Travis noticed that the air had grown thicker, and now there were small flakes of something falling down out of the sky. Knowing that it wasn’t quite cold enough to snow, and confused by what this phenomena could be, he opened his hand and let a few pieces flutter down into his palm. The white substance wasn’t cold, not by any means, but very delicate and light, with almost no weight to it at all. Gingerly, he reached out and touched it, and was shocked to discover that it disintegrated in his hand, leaving only a small black smudge in it’s place. This wasn’t snow at all, but instead a fine white ash. Looking up, he stared at the dense fog that surrounded him and noticed that wasn’t just fog that rolled into his neighborhood, but thick, heavy smoke as well. “What the hell is going on?” He muttered to himself.  
  
At the end of the street, a shadow moved. It caught Travis attention and he took a few steps forward, trying to get a better look at the mysterious shape. His eyes widened. It was a man. Clad in a heavy cloak with a hood, the dark layers of fabric spilled out around his slender body, collecting in waves at his feet and fluttering slightly around him. He stood motionless, with his back toward him, completely uninterested. A little apprehensive of the imposing figure at the end of the road, Travis cautiously called out to him. “Hello? Hey, I need your help. My friend’s daughter, Ember… she’s missing. I think that she might have gone looking for me when I was out, and got lost in whatever this mess is. I can’t find her anywhere; she’s only 8 years old and all alone… I need to find her.”  
  
The man turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder. If it wasn’t for the shifting of the fabric, Travis wouldn’t have noticed him move at all. The wind picked up, scattering dead leaves and bits of ash across the street. All the vehicles, houses and trees around him seemed to have vanished, leaving only him and the stranger in the ominous early morning sunrise. “Did you hear what I said?” Travis called out, getting a little annoyed at the lack of response. “A child is missing. She might be in danger. If you won’t help me, then at least tell me if you’ve seen her. Please…”  
  
His voice sounding flat and hollow in the thick air, Travis started to walk forward, with full intentions of confronting the mysterious figure in the cape, when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. The man moved slightly, his cloak falling open in the front, exposing a black gloved hand. Travis’s heart began to race. His eyes focused on the bright shock of color in front of him flowing in the wind. There held tightly within the stranger’s grip and laced around his fingers was Ember’s red hair ribbon. The edges were singed and burnt.  
  
Travis could barely speak; the air was being sucked out of his lungs. “Where is she?”

  



End file.
